Something that I didn’t know I wanted to do with my other two children, but got to do with my last one, was monthly photos. Now, don’t get me wrong for the first year of all my children I did monthly photos, just not the same exact photo each month, so you can see them grow. This way I am about to share is so fun to sit back and see at the end of 12 months.
Here are some tips to help you make this project successful:
- First and foremost, choose a safe location for you and your baby. I chose to do it on the floor. It was easier so I didn’t have the fear of her falling off a chair or something of that nature.
- Choose one object or piece of clothing that can be in every picture each month. I chose this cute little rug and just to put her in a simple onesie. I love that there isn’t any distraction in the photo to take away from her.
- Choose a way to tell what month it is. There are so many ways to do this. Whether it be with some cute blocks, balloons, a sticker or add it later with an app. I chose to add it later with a fun app that I just love.
- Be flexible. Figure out your baby’s schedule and try to plan your photo shoot for right after nap time or after they eat but if your baby is cranky or if it’s not working out for some reason, don’t stress it. Give your baby a break and try again later. If it’s not on the exact day of the month that your baby was born, it’s not the end of the world. I was sometimes a couple days late on it due to other things going on.
- Choose a location with good natural light. It is best by a window or a slider door. Good lighting makes for great photos. I chose the slider door because it lets in the best light to make the perfect photo.
- Have a toy that baby loves behind the camera to make them smile. Sometimes daddy’s work too. Charlee would also smile when he was behind me. Even making strange noises gets their attention as well.
- Plan ahead. Put the dates on the calendar. Make sure that you have enough time to do the shoot, even if your baby is not cooperating. Buy multiple sizes of the same outfit before baby is born so that your baby’s outfit can be the same each month and then you won’t have to worry about trying to find the outfit again in stores months later. We just did a plain onesie to keep it simple.
- Take candid shots at the same time as your doing the monthly photos. Those always turn out great because you can catch your baby’s true personality. Plus, it’s more relaxed and not stressful. I love having photos from each month documenting how much she changed.
- You don’t need a fancy camera. It’s so easy to do even if you don’t have a fancy camera, you can even use your phone for the photos. I have a fancy camera and used my phone for these.
- Keeping a journal of all the milestones they hit each month is also a great idea to put with each photo a month. All the little details in the first year are so precious. You will cherish those for years to come.
Using this tips just might make it easier and a more successful photo shoot for your little one and you!
What other ideas would you suggest?
